Foundation garment



July 6, 1948. H. G. KARCHER FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed March 6, 1946 quill/I' FIG. 4

Inventor HARRIET 6'. KARCHER y WW Patented July 6, 1948 rs mp -s PATENT FOUNDKTION GARMENT I :Harriet G. Karcher, Snyder, N. X. Application March 6, 1946, -Serial No. 652-287 This invention relates to new and useful improvements and.structuralrefinements in foundation garments, 'more particularly, to garments of the *lass which fully embraces the hips and the? thighs iolf the .user for the ,primary purpose fof controlling..the contour ofi the body. In writer to achieve this purpose, conventional garments of this nature usually extend considerably below the level of the hips and are customarily provided at their lower edge with a plurality of garters for the convenient suspension of stockmgs.

While, no doubt, such garments satisfactorily fulfill the purpose for which they are intended, they have become extremely objectionable and inconvenient when it is necessary for the user to assume a sitting position during natural eliminative functions of the body. In such instances, the lower edge of the garment must usually be rolled or peeled upwardly, thereby not only straining the effective function of the eliminative organs by imposing additional pressure thereon, but also affecting and eventually destroying any elasticity such as the garment may possess. Furthermore, the garters must be unfastened from the stockings before such rolling or peeling can be effected, and the combined disadvantages resulting from the use of the garment are thus clearly apparent.

It is therefore the principal object of the invention to provide such garments, more particularly, the rear portion of said garments, with an open slit, the edges of which may be brought and separably held together by novel connecting means.

A further object of the invention is to provide the inner surface of such garment with a protective flap, such as would cover the connecting means associated with the edges of the flap and thus prevent the same from scratching or otherwise injuring the body of the user.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a foundation garment which, by virtue of the construction outlined above, appreciably increases the comfort and convenience normally associated with the use of the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a foundation garment which is of simple construction and which will not easily become damaged.

With the above more important objects in View, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and con- 1 Claim. (oils-es) I struction of iparts as illustrated in the accompanying drawin-gsjin which+ :Figure -1 :is a; perspective--view,-,-of {the invention, illustrating the same in the closed position and in'situ on the bbdy'of -the user;;

'E'igure 2 is rear elevation 10f theduvention per se, showing the same partially open to reveal its construction;

Figure 3 is a further, rear elevational View, showing the garment in the fully open position, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view, illustrating the invention in the fully closed position.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and through out the several views,

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of the founda- 'tion garment 5, assuming the conventional form and provided in the rear portion thereof with a T-shaped slit 6.

This slit is disposed substantially at the center of the garment and extends upwardly from the lower edge I to medially the height of the garment so as to form a conveniently sized opening when the edges of the slit are separated.

The longitudinal edges 8 of the slit 6 are provided with coacting portions of a slide fastener 9. The latter may assume the form conventionally referred to as the zipper and it will be noted that the slide 10 of the same is so arranged as to draw the portions 9 together when it is pulled upwardly.

A plurality of straps II are arranged in pairs on the relatively opposite sides of the slit ii, each of the straps being secured at one end thereof to the inner surface of the garment 5. The free end of one of the straps in each pair is provided with a hook I2, while the free end of each remaining strap carries a coacting eye I3.

A protective flap I4 is secured at one edge thereof, as indicated by the stitch lines l5, to the inner surface of the garment on one side of the slit 6.

Conventional garters l6 are attached at the lower edge I of the garment 5, as will be clearly apparent from the accompanying Figure 1.

When the invention is placed in use as illustrated in Figure 1, the garment may be easily, quickly and conveniently opened by pulling the slide ll) downwardly to disconnect the fastener portions 9. Thereupon, the edges of the slit *6 may be separated to expose the underlying structure, as is best illustrated in the accompanying Figure 2.

The eyes l3 may now be disconnected from the hooks I 2 to separate the straps H, and the flap H turned outwardly to provide the opening shown in Figure 3. The garment may be closed in an equally convenient manner by reversing the steps already set forth and it will be noted in this connection that the straps H will efiectively assist in drawing and holding the adjacent edges of the slit together while the fastener 9 is being manipulated. Similarly, said straps will: substantially reinforce the fastener when the latter is in the closed position, thereby eliminating the undue strain which would be otherwise imposed thereon by the elasticity inherent in the garment.

It should be understood that while in the drawings, the slit and the associated structure has been shown only in the rear of the garment, the

same may also be applied to the front portion thereof, if such provision is considered desirable.-

It should be also noted that while the garment is being opened, it is not necessary to detach the garters IS, the same remaining undisturbed throughout the opening and closing of the garmerit.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this 4 invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

In a foundation garment, a back having a substantially horizontal lower edge and provided with a centrally disposed If-shaped slit, the verticalportion ofsaid slit'extending upwardly from said lower edge, the transverse portion of said slit being substantially parallel to said lower edge,

and rectangular portions of said back bordered on three-sides by the transverse and vertical portions of said slit and by said lower edge constituting uniformly rol-lable flaps.

, HARRIET G. KARCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Bulloch Mar. 24, 1942 

